Business structures may seem like a modern invention, but their roots stretch back to ancient civilizations. In this episode, we explore the origins of trade and commerce with Barry Hawk, whose latest book, Family, Partnerships and Companies: From Assur to Amsterdam, uncovers how early societies shaped the way we do business today. In addition to being an author, Barry has had a long and successful career as an antitrust lawyer: he was a partner at Skadden for two decades, worked as the head of EU and International Antitrust Practice, and served as the former director of the Fordham Competition Law Institute. In our conversation, Barry outlines the nine pre-industrialized societies that he focuses on in his book and what we can learn from the way in which they conducted business. He unpacks theories on hunter-gatherer trading, Italy’s fascinating history of business, the role of the English and the Dutch in advancing joint stock companies, and what these societies can teach us about our modern economy. To hear the full scope of today’s conversation with Barry Hawk on the history of business, be sure to tune in!

Key Points From This Episode:

• The inspiration behind Barry’s new book Family, Partnerships and Companies.
• An overview of what ancient business organizations would have looked like.
• The type of partnerships that were formed and why families were often relied upon.
• How environment and resources shaped hunter-gatherer behavior and trade.
• What historical evidence reveals about Mesopotamian society and their economy.
• Ways that ancient Greek and Egyptian societies are misunderstood.
• Why we look to Rome as the birthplace of business organizations.
• The history of joint stock companies and the rise of global trade.
• Why other societies didn’t follow the joint stock companies model.
• How understanding ancient business models can help us analyze modern society.

Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:

Barry Hawk at Fordham

Barry Hawk on LinkedIn
Family, Partnerships and Companies

‘Family, Partnerships and Companies’ Abstract

Fordham University School of Law Corporate Law Center